Apadmi builds world's first fan experience app for SailGP

SailGP APP © Caroline Canty

Apadmi reveal today that they're the mobile tech team behind the next generation app for SailGP, the global sailing championship that kicked off last month in Sydney.

Spearheaded by Larry Ellison and Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP's inaugural season brings intensely competitive, high-speed inshore racing to fans in Sydney, San Francisco, New York, Cowes UK and Marseille, as world-class crews compete for the championship trophy and a $1million prize.

The innovative SailGP app creates a next level spectator experience, at the event and at home. It allows fans to truly personalise what they watch and which boat to follow, bringing them closer to the sport than ever before. They'll be able to view live data and video, track performance, compare athletes, change viewing angles, zoom in on the action and watch replays.

SailGP's inaugural season features six teams Australia, China, France, Great Britain, Japan and the United States racing on identical 50-foot foiling catamarans. A new boat class, the F50 is the most technologically advanced catamaran and fastest race boat in the world. The F50s are expected to break sailing's elusive 50-knot (60mph/100kph) barrier.

"These are the fastest race boats in sailing, and SailGP will redefine the sport. Our challenge was to create an app that was just as ground-breaking. We've crashed through things we didn't realise were possible to do," said Apadmi's CCO Matt Hunt. "To create a world-first app, for a worldwide audience, with a world-class team has been an amazing experience for all of us."

With instant access to more than 1,200 data channels, the app delivers unprecedented insight into the revolutionary new sailing championship. The unique split screen feature enables the viewer to compare two teams side by side, and delve into the detail of what makes the unique super boats fly.

"We really wanted to challenge ourselves with how we present the content and data coming off the boats and show it in a way that truly enhances the fan experience and allows them to be as much a part of the racing as possible," said Coutts, SailGP CEO.

"This is the first time the data and live streams are available to everyone fans, teams, broadcasters, coaches and race management and we really hope it will attract new people to the sport, educate emerging fans and generally make SailGP interesting for a wide range of people."

Three customizable modes are designed to cater to all levels of knowledge of the sport, from emerging fans to sailing aficionados. The standard view is focused on visuals streaming in live from 11 feeds via helicopter, drone, and on-water/on-board cameras, displayed alongside key race statistics. Tips are offered to assist users in understanding the terminology and relevance of the data.

Meanwhile, the advanced view allows users to hone in on precise technical data from the boat. In this setting, rudder angle, ride time, ride height, pitch and roll can all be viewed to allow fans to get under the hood of the supercharged F50 and see what it takes to perform at the highest level.

Finally, in the split screen view, data can be viewed and compared for two teams simultaneously. Users get a clear indication of what's happening on-board during racing and what factors are contributing to performance. The split screen feature will be particularly relevant for the season finale, in which the year's two highest ranked boats will go head-to-head in a $1million winner-takes-all match race.

The app includes a 'no spoilers' setting for global fans too, who are consuming the content on a delayed basis.

Apadmi is a mobile technology group headquartered in Manchester. They've won countless awards for their ground-breaking apps and solutions for organisations including NHS, BBC, Argos, Co-op and X-Factor.

The SailGP app is available on all Apple iOS devices via the App Store. An Android version will be available later in the season. For information SailGP, visit SailGP.com.